NFC North preview: Packers will go 11-5, win division comfortably

At the Free Press this week, we look back at the NFL champion 1957 Detroit Lions, plus roll out analysis, predictions and more for the 2017 season.
Video produced by Marlowe Alter, DFP
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Week 9 at Green Bay, 8:30 p.m. Nov. 6: Aaron Rodgers and the Packers are a good bet to win their sixth division title in seven years, and this game could help clinch it. Pick: Packers 27, Lions 20(Photo: William Glasheen, USA TODAY Spor)

Chicago Bears: 4-12

Why they're better than the Lions: They got rid of perennial underperforming sourpuss quarterback Jay Cutler. That’s a huge addition by subtraction (good luck, Dolphins!). The Bears have a solid if unspectacular veteran quarterback in Mike Glennon and traded up to draft Mitch Trubisky second overall, so he can wait in the wings as an understudy. Some — probably agents who don’t want competition — want to label this a QB controversy, but it’s actually smart to have more than one good option at the team’s most important position.

Why they're not: This team lacks identity and direction under general manager Ryan Pace and coach John Fox. But it’s Fox's very unstable position that could doom the team this year. He’s sitting on the NFL’s hottest hot seat after posting a 9-23 record the past two seasons. They’re average in several facets of the game, but they aren’t great at any one thing.

Swirling controversy: Take your pick. Will Trubisky get tired of waiting to start if Glennon struggles? When will the Fox firing countdown clock start. Oh, and by the way, there was a report during the draft that Fox had no idea Pace was trading up for Trubisky until a couple of hours beforehand.

(Photo: The Associated Press)

Biggest asset: Jordan Howard was revelation as a rookie last year, when he racked up 1,313 yards and six rushing touchdowns on his way to the Pro Bowl. Big-bodied receiver Kevin White has to step up with Cameron Meredith on injured/reserve. And Bears edge rushers like Willie Young, Leonard Floyd and Pernell McPhee might be able to put enough pressure on QBs to keep the scores low enough to keep the offense in striking distance.

Biggest need: Solid, smart and hopefully sometimes spectacular play from whichever quarterback is starting will help make the biggest difference. The Bears also need much better play from the secondary. Cornerback Kyle Fuller missed the whole season after arthroscopic knee surgery. They added veterans Prince Amukamara and Quintin Demps to shore up the secondary.

Green Bay Packers: 11-5

Why they're better than the Lions: Every year, it’s the same answer: Aaron Rodgers. Just when you think this might be the year Rodgers slows down and takes a step back, he makes good on his prediction of running the table, beating the Lions at Ford Field to win the division and then follows that up by toppling the top-seeded Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs. They’ve also got some excellent receivers to help Rodgers in Jordy Nelson, Davante Adams and Randall Cobb.

Why they're not: The Packers, unlike the Patriots, are human and seem to struggle through injuries and inconsistent play as much as anyone. The defense was hit hard by injuries and was by far the weak link on the team. Rodgers mysteriously went through an early season swoon that began at the end of 2015. A shoulder injury cost Clay Matthews, 31, four games and led to one of his worst seasons.

Swirling controversy: Believe it or not, coach Mike McCarthy is probably sitting on a lukewarm seat. The standard in Green Bay is different than in places like, say, Detroit. There’s a feeling McCarthy is wasting the prime of Rodgers, who turns 34 this year, and the Packers haven’t been to the Super Bowl for six straight years. The Packers were 4-6 at one point last year and they were blown out in the NFC title game at Atlanta, 44-21. An early or midseason lull and a playoff thrashing might be disastrous for McCarthy.

Biggest asset: It’s too obvious to say Rodgers. But his receiving corps should be something special. Nelson had 1,257 yards and 14 touchdowns and Adams had a breakout year with 997 yards and 12 touchdowns. Just in case Nelson and Adams were tired of having to catch all those footballs in the end zone, the greedy Packers added a big red zone threat in tight end Martellus Bennett.

Biggest need: Health and improved play from the secondary, which was ranked the NFL’s third worst against the pass. The Packers lost solid safety Micah Hyde to Buffalo in free agency and the released cornerback Sam Shields because of concussions. The signed former Jacksonville cornerback Davon House and they need continued solid play from safeties Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Morgan Burnett.

(Photo: The Associated Press)

Minnesota Vikings: 8-8

Why they're better than the Lions: The Vikings had the third-ranked defense last season and it remains the best in the division by far. The team plays patiently and limits its mistakes. Quarterback Sam Bradford threw 20 touchdown passes with just five interceptions. It’s unspectacular but it works. Coach Mike Zimmer has one of the best reputations in the division as a calm, steady and likable leader who gets the most out of his team.

Why they're not: Solid and steady play is great, but the Vikings don’t have enough offensive firepower to scare anyone. After starting the season 5-0, they went 1-6 and struggled to score more than one touchdown in several of those losses. They finished 23rd in scoring with an average of 20.4 points per game. The offensive line was a mess last year, but should show some improvement with the addition of free-agent tackles Mike Remmers and former Lion Riley Reiff.

Swirling controversy: Zimmer took over in 2014 and ended the Packers’ four-year stranglehold on the division title in 2015. The Vikes started 5-0 last year, which included a win over the Pack, and looked like they were about to shift the balance of power in the division. Then they finished third at 8-8. Zimmer got a contract extension in 2016, so he won’t be on the hot seat this year. But that could change quickly if the Vikings don’t show more life this year.

Biggest asset: It’s the defense, hands down. How good is it? It has backup cornerback Terence Newman, who turns 39 today. When a player that old is on your roster for depth, you’ve got plenty of starting excellence. And the Vikes do. Xavier Rhodes, Everson Griffen and Harrison Smith are excellent. Nose tackle Linval Joseph made the Pro Bowl last year, when he had four sacks and forced three fumbles.

Biggest need: The Vikings need playmakers to step up on offense. They haven’t had a 1,000-yard receiver since Sidney Rice had 1,319 yards in 2009, but they were close last year. Stefon Diggs made a nice jump last year and finished with 903 yards and Adam Thielen came out of nowhere with 967 yards and five touchdowns. Tight end Kyle Rudolph had seven touchdowns. The Vikings have moved on from Adrian Peterson by signing Oakland free agent Latavius Murray, a 6-foot-3, 225-pound productive bruiser.